WATER-PLANTAIN. 411 



rises to the height of two or three feet. The leaves are all ra- 

 dical, ovate *, cordate at the base, acute, smooth, entire, nearly 

 erect, slightly waved, marked with a prominent midrib, and 

 about six parallel-converging secondary ribs ; they are all on 

 long, tapering petioles, which are deeply channelled, sheathing 

 and purplish at the base. The flowers are terminal on the scape, 

 and are disposed in a long panicle of distant spreading whorls, 

 generally of six branched radii in a whorl, alternately longer 

 and shorter ; the peduncles obtusely three-cornered, with mem- 

 branous, sheathing, marcescent stipulae at the base. The calyx 

 consists of three ovate, concave, spreading, striated sepals, 

 membranous at the margin. The corolla t is composed 

 of three roundish spreading petals, of a very pale rose- 

 purple colour, rather jagged at the edge, shrivelling, fur- 

 nished with short yellowish claws. The stamens are six, with 

 subulate slightly incurved filaments, tipped with greenish an- 

 thers. The germens are small, placed in a circle, numerous, 

 (about eighteen,) each supporting a filiform erect style and a 

 simple stigma. The fruit consists of several clustered, depressed, 

 ovate, obsoletely trigonal capsules, indehiscent, each con- 

 taining a single seed. The seed is destitute of albumen, and 

 the embryo is shaped like a horse-shoe. Plate 47, fig. 1, (a) 

 entire flower; (b) the same viewed at the back to show the 

 calyx ; (c) pistil. 



The Great Water-Plantain is very common on the margins of 

 lakes, rivers and ditches, flowering from July to September. 



The generic name is derived from alls, water in Celtic. The 

 present species has been considered by some to be the teifjwviov, 

 and veupo»&ff, of Dioscorides, and the Beta sylvestris of Pliny, 

 but there is no means of deciding the point. The common 

 name Water-Plantain, refers to the resemblance between its 

 leaves and those of the Common Plantain; it is also called 

 Greater Thrumwort. 



It is singular that nearly all the older botanists should have 

 placed this plant among the Plantains, which it resembles merely 

 in its leaves, while in natural character and qualities it has 

 more analogy with the Ranunculus tribe, although its embryo 



* There is a variety with lanceolate leaves. 



f The blossoms fully expand between three and four in the afternoon. 



